A BLUE GLASS ‘MALLOW’ SNUFF BOTTLE, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIOD China, 1736-1795. The ovoid sides rising from a short spreading foot to a cylindrical neck. The bottle is finely carved on each main side with a large mallow blossom with curled edges, flanked on the sides by mask-and-ring handles, with a band of pendent palm blades to the neck and a band of lotus lappets above the foot. The transparent glass is of a vibrant dark-blue tone and shows neatly incised and wheel cut details. Finely incised four-character seal mark Qianlong yuzhi in horizontal script to the base and of the period.

Provenance: Property from the Halim Time & Glass Museum, Evanston, Illinois. The Halim Time and Glass Museum opened its doors in 2017, showcasing over 1170 works of glass and time pieces. The museum, founded by Cameel and Hoda Halim, also displays its unique collection of works of art by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and tiny manufacturing imperfections. Note that the incised mark to base is slightly off balance.

Stopper: Carved pink glass in imitation of rose quartz, mother-of-pearl platelet, possibly matching and from the Imperial glass workshops as well.
Weight: 50.8 g
Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 68 mm. Diameter neck 17 mm and mouth 9 mm.

This bottle depicts the mallow which is associated with the successful scholar. Its Chinese name gui is also a homophone on the word gui for "honor". As such, the mallow flower is depicted on a variety of Imperial bottles made from different materials.

Literature comparison: A number of bottles with this design are known, including several in different colors of glass in the Marian Mayer Collection, illustrated by R. Hall, Chinese Snuff Bottles II, London, 1989, nos. 86-90 and 93; one illustrated by H. Hui et. al., Hidden Treasures of the Dragon, Hong Kong, 1991, p. 61, fig. 111; another illustrated by Robert Kleiner, A Miniature Art from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, Hong Kong, 1991, no. 95; and a white glass example in the collection of Denis Low illustrated by R. Kleiner, Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, Singapore, 1999, p. 101, no. 83.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related ‘mallow’ snuff bottle, carved from golden glass, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from a Distinguished American Collection on 7 October 2014, lot 13, sold for HKD 118,750 and another in golden-yellow overlay glass at Christie’s New York in The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part V on 13 September 2017, lot 345, sold for USD 15,000.

乾隆款及年代藍料葵紋輔耳鼻烟壺
Description: 中國1736-1795年。直頸，橢圓形側面，短圈足。 瓶身兩側精雕細刻各一朵大錦葵花，邊緣捲曲，兩側為輔耳和環柄，頸部蕉葉紋，足部上方有蓮紋。 透明玻璃呈充滿活力的深藍色調，邊沿和細節十分精美整齊。圈足内四字“乾隆御製“款。

來源：美國伊利伊諾州伊凡斯頓Halim Time & Glass Museum美術館收藏。Halim Time & Glass Museum 美術館2017年開放，展示了1170多件玻璃及時計藝術品。這個美術館由Cameel 及 Hoda Halim創立，同時也展出Louis Comfort Tiffany 的作品。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微的磨損和微小的製造瑕疵。 請注意，底部的款稍微不平衡。

壺蓋：粉紅玻璃，貝母蓋托，可能來自御用工坊
重量：50.8 克
尺寸：含蓋高 68 毫米；頸部直徑 17 毫米與嘴部 9 毫米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相似的金色葵紋琉璃鼻烟壺，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from a Distinguished American Collection 2014年10月7日 lot 13, 售價HKD 118,750；另一件 金黃色套料鼻烟壺見紐約佳士得The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part V 2017年9月 13日lot 345, 售價USD 15,000。